We’ve just spent 10 days in India meeting our offshore teammates — and it’s changed how I think about UK hiring, AI adoption, and where British SMEs find their next edge. In this honest chat, we cover the reality of offshoring (good and bad), why UK incentives miss the mark, and how AI will outpace cheap labour if you actually use it.Takeaways💡 Offshoring works when your systems & SOPs are tight (or it fails).🤖 AI augments good people one A-player can do the work of three.🌍 India’s talent pool is hungry, but AI adoption lags (your chance).💷 UK hiring costs/risks are real; be strategic with roles.✈️ Go see your offshore team culture + process clicks in person.Chapters00:00 Intro & why this topic now01:10 Travel stories (Indonesia, India, comfort zones)05:18 India first impressions: scale, talent, culture06:40 UK offshoring reality & incentives09:58 Remote work → offshoring: blessing & curse12:45 Work ethic, mindset & comfort in the West15:00 India’s stark contrasts & what it teaches18:30 Costs, hotels, value — and BA lost my bag19:55 Should you offshore? When, where, and how22:20 Systems, onboarding, accountability (or it fails)25:00 The AI gap in India (and why that matters)28:45 AI = augmentation → real efficiency gains31:30 Practical plan: train offshore teams on AI33:40 Travel for leverage (Canton Fair, sourcing)35:20 Question of the Week: 1 offshore hire vs 10 AI tools?36:14 Next week’s teaser: Tom’s TikTok Shop rocketLinks🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4uqUUHL0KUZL2m9dLx9JvO📺 Watch more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BritishBusinessPodcast🌐 Follow Matt (all links): https://linktr.ee/mrmattholland🌐 Follow Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mcilvenny-b15b9555/🎙 Morgan / Podcast Studio: https://cheshirepodcaststudio.com